What Does the Bible Say About Lesbians?
The topic of lesbians and same-sex attraction raises complex cultural and theological questions. Many ask, “What does the Bible actually say about women in same-sex relationships?” While the Bible does not use the modern word “lesbian,” it does address female same-sex behavior explicitly and provides a broader theological framework for understanding sexuality, identity, and redemption.
This article explores what the Bible teaches about lesbians by focusing on key passages, biblical anthropology, and the Gospel’s invitation to all people.
1. Romans 1 and Same-Sex Behavior Among Women
The clearest mention of same-sex relations between women appears in Romans 1:26–27, where Paul writes:
“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature…”
This passage explicitly describes female same-sex behavior as a departure from God’s design. Paul includes both men and women in this critique, linking their actions to a broader rejection of the Creator. According to Paul:
Same-sex behavior is a result, not just a cause, of human rebellion.
These acts are described as unnatural, meaning contrary to the created order.
The issue is moral, not merely ceremonial or cultural.
Some scholars have tried to argue that Paul was only referring to exploitative practices (such as pederasty or temple prostitution), but the text does not support that limitation. Paul speaks of consensual behavior that he believes departs from God’s will for human sexuality.
2. The Bible Does Not Categorize by Orientation
It is important to recognize that the Bible does not frame sexuality in terms of orientation. The categories “heterosexual” and “homosexual” are modern constructs. Instead, Scripture speaks about actions, desires, and the heart’s orientation toward or away from God.
For this reason, the Bible’s teaching about lesbians focuses not on identity labels but on what it calls “sexual immorality” (Greek: porneia), which includes any sexual activity outside the male-female marriage covenant. This includes same-sex behavior between women, but also includes heterosexual fornication, adultery, and other distortions of God's design.
Key principles include:
All people are made in God's image, including those with same-sex desires (Genesis 1:27).
Sin is not restricted to behavior but begins in the heart’s desires (James 1:14–15).
Sexual sin is forgivable, but must be repented of (1 Corinthians 6:9–11).
3. Sexual Ethics and the Created Order
The Bible’s vision of sexuality is rooted in creation itself. Genesis 2 presents marriage as a union between male and female, designed for both intimacy and procreation: “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Jesus later affirms this design in Matthew 19:4–6.
From this foundation, the Bible consistently:
Upholds male-female marriage as the only proper context for sexual intimacy.
Condemns sexual practices that fall outside this covenant—including same-sex relations (Leviticus 18:22, 1 Timothy 1:10).
Warns that distorting God’s design leads to spiritual and social consequences.
In this light, lesbians are not uniquely targeted but are included in the broader biblical teaching that calls all people—regardless of desire—to submit to God’s revealed order.
4. The Gospel Is for All, Including Lesbians
While the Bible is clear in its moral teaching, it is also rich in grace. In 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, Paul lists several kinds of sinners, including those who practiced same-sex behavior, and then says:
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ…”
This passage reminds us that the church is made up of people from all backgrounds—including those who once lived in same-sex relationships. Through Christ:
Forgiveness is real.
New identity is possible.
Transformation is ongoing.
The Bible never holds up moral perfection as a prerequisite for love or salvation. Instead, it calls everyone—lesbians included—to turn from sin and receive the mercy of Christ.
Conclusion: What the Bible Says About Lesbians
So, what does the Bible say about lesbians? It teaches that same-sex relations between women, like all forms of sexual immorality, fall outside of God’s created design and reflect the deeper reality of a world estranged from its Creator. Romans 1 and other passages treat these behaviors as sinful—not because of cultural prejudice, but because they depart from the goodness of God's order.
Yet the message of the Bible is not condemnation but redemption. The Gospel offers hope and healing for everyone. The church is not a place for the morally superior but for the spiritually broken—those who come to Christ in repentance and faith.
Sexual ethics are not isolated rules; they are part of a much larger story—the restoration of creation through Jesus Christ. In that story, no one is beyond grace, and no sin is too great to be forgiven.
Bible verses related to lesbians and same-sex behavior:
Romans 1:26, "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature."
Romans 1:27, "And the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another..."
Genesis 2:24, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
Leviticus 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination."
Matthew 19:4–5, "He answered, 'Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,' and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife…'"
1 Corinthians 6:9, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral… nor men who practice homosexuality…"
1 Corinthians 6:11, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ…"
1 Timothy 1:10, "…the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine."
Jude 1:7, "Just as Sodom and Gomorrah… indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire."
Ephesians 5:3, "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints."
